Expansion Updates

Local renewable energy production goes hand in hand with the VFC’s mission of supporting the local food system and local businesses. For years, VFC Owners have been dreaming of producing local energy at the Co-op and the VFC Solar Power Project makes that dream a reality.

The project features 130 solar panels mounted on our south-facing roof (see photo above), which will produce an estimated 61,360-kilowatt hours of energy per year. This is enough to cover about 13% of our energy needs (the equivalent of electricity for six average American homes).

Additionally, we plan to install two public electric car charging stations on the north edge of our parking lot. These EV (electric vehicle) charging stations will be one of the first of its kind in Viroqua. We look forward to being part of the network of EV charging stations across the Midwest to make electric vehicle operation more of a reality.

We’ve partnered with Ethos Green Power (Viroqua) to design and coordinate the project; Phase 3 Energy (Belleville, WI) to install the panels. Installation of both the EV charging stations and panels is integrated into our building plan. We expect them to be completed in October 2018.

VFC received the Renewable Energy Competitive Incentive Program (RECIP) – Focus on Energy Grant for our Solar Power Project! The $25,000 grant covers approximately 23% of the total project cost.

Want to support our solar project? Are you a VFC Owner who is a valid Wisconsin resident? Invest in Class C Stock! We just launched Phase II of our Capital Campaign with the goal of selling $300,000 in Class C investment stock to support the VFC Solar Power Project and our expansion. Now is a great time to invest in the VFC! Below are some more details about Class C Investment: